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The Not-For-Profit sector of our economy pulls in a lot of money. In 2006, Americans dug deep and gave a record $295 billion to charity, roughly 2.2 percent of our collective take-home income. Not one penny of that came from me. Here’s why.
1. They’re not as efficient as you think
As with any financial endeavor, and big charities definitely fit the bill, part of the goal is just to bring cash in. Take VietNow, for example. The charity itself is well meaning, striving to address hardships that face many of the men and women who’ve served in the military in the last half century. But in order to reach as wide of a base as possible, VietNow employs a telemarketing group to solicit members and benefactors. It’s a strategy that has worked greatly in expanding the public’s awareness of the group, and over $7 million were raised between 1987 and 1995. There’s a catch, however: The telemarketing company kept eight-five cents on every dollar donated, leaving a meager 15 cents on the dollar for the charity itself. Subtract further administrative costs from that, and the money that actually made it into the hands of the people who needed it most becomes meaningless.
Often the charities that are spending to send you things in the mail or call you at home have an overhead that’s so expensive that most of the money received ends up cycled back into the system, just paying for more postage and telemarketers.
And like any business, there are those who make a living out of it, like Roger Chapin, the self-dubbed “non-profit entrepreneur,” who’s run nearly 30 non-profits over the years with names like “Citizens for a Drug-Free America,” “Americans United to Conquer Disease,” Coalition to Salute America’s Heros Foundation, “ and “Help Hospitalizes Veterans,” which preforms the daunting, yet necessary task of supplying injured soldiers with arts and crafts kits while in the hospital. “HHV,” for short, was by far Chapin’s most successful charity to date, bringing in over $71.3 million in donations. Unfortunately, only about nine percent of that actually went to purchasing these gifts, 85 percent went to pay for the direct mailing and television campaigns. Five percent of that 71 mill was spent on administrative fees, including a $43,000 down payment on a pair of condos, a $135,000 loan to finance a friend’s divorce settlement, a $17,000 country club membership, and a combined salary of over half a million dollars for Chapin and his wife, who edits the “HHV” newsletter.
2. Giving could land you in Guantanamo
It may sound extreme, but if you give money to the wrong people, you can be arrested as a terrorist. Here’s how it works: Let’s say you’re a socially conscious American Muslim. And let’s say you read the headlines and see how bad things are for people who live in northern Mali, so you decide to donate money to a charity that funds projects there- in this case, a well for clean drinking water. The Islamic American Relief Fund does just that. You write the check, post it and then let the warmth of philanthropy wash over you. But if it happens that a few of the men paid to dig the well had been paid to dig other wells in the area, and any of those wells had been paid for by Hamas, government watchlists place those men on Hamas’s payroll and identify them terrorists. When this line of thinking is carried out to its extreme, that means that the Islamic American Relief fund gave money to terrorists, which means you gave money to terrorists. And that makes you a terrorist.
Sound far fetched? Not under to the USA PATRIOT Act. If you give money to an organization that, in turn, gives it to people on the Defense Department’s growing list of “terrorist” organizations, then you can be arrested and sent off to wherever they send those people off.
3. Just because it’s a non-profit, doesn’t mean it’s a charity.
The Baptist Foundation of Arizona was never technically a charity. In fact, its investors expected to see their investments returned to them. When Richard and Susan Kimsey deposited $100,000 into the trust, they were told that they were doing the Lord’s work. They were also told that the money was going into a mutual fund and that the interest would be used to fund Baptist and humanitarian causes–providing food and shelter to Arizona’s poor and spreading the gospel.
Unbeknownst to the Kimseys, as well as 13,000 other investors, not only had the foundation failed to make any charitable contributions, it had also become a money pit.
The BFA was founded in 1948, and ran fine until the eighties, when the foundation’s trustees invested heavily in the booming Arizona real estate market, which tanked soon thereafter. Rather than dissolving and returning as much money as possible to investors, the foundation instead solicited new donations in order to keep up with interest payments on its failed investments. Eventually, this scheme grew out of control. The BFA created dummy subsidiaries to buy the failed investments at inflated prices with money borrowed from the foundation, and issued loans that these subsidiaries could not possibly pay back. With a little creative paperwork from auditor Arthur Anderson, the foundation looked like it was staying afloat, while good intentioned, elderly “investors” continued to throw their retirement funds into the fire.
When the BFA was finally investigated by Arizona state regulators after a decade of litigation, the foundation’s losses topped $350 million. Half of that was paid by Arthur Anderson in a court settlement. Further, three BFA members, including the foundation’s treasurer, plead guilty to fraud charges.
4. Wealthy People Use them as Tax Shelters
Non-profit organizations have the luxury of being tax-exempt, and sometimes rich folk, aided by crafty lawyers and accountants, take advantage of them. Example: the America3 Foundation. Millionaire William Koch, who was on Forbes’ “400 richest people in America” in the early 1990s, created and funded the so-called charity as a tax-shelter to support his yachting hobby. More specifically, he was using it to compete for the America’s Cup. Koch described his crew as “amateur athletes” which helped him get his non-profit registration, though team members were getting paid between $30,000 and $40,000 per year, with housing and expenses included. His motivation for the foundation? Apparently, yachting year round can get pricey, and, according to him, the cost of running a campaign for America’s Cup is “obscene and wasteful.” Through the America3 Foundation he could save, “a couple million bucks.”
Of course, Koch’s means isn’t the only way to game the system. In the mid-nineties, CEO of InsMark, Robert Ritter, developed a scheme called, “charitable split-dollar insurance,” which allowed very wealthy people to set-up a life insurance policy in the form of a tax-exempt charitable fund, like founding a charity to support your children after you’re gone. It was an abusive tax shelter technique that played off a loophole in the tax code. In 1999, Congress passed legislation banning the practice.
5. You could be subsidizing someone’s love life
United Way of America president William Aramony was sentenced to seven years in prison for “25 counts of conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, the filing of false income tax returns and transactions involving criminal property.” Not only did Aramony syphon off over $1.2 million from the charity’s headquarters, he also diverted these funds towards his mistress in the form of chauffeured limousines, trips across the world (to accompany him, of course), checks for “consulting” services, and the use of a New York City condo. Added to the list of unethical actions was the fact that his muse was only 17 when the 59-year old executive first met her.
Of course, Aramony didn’t draw straight from the company well. Instead, he set up Partnership Umbrella, Inc. with $900,000 in United Way seed money, as well as several other spin-off entities. It was through these side organizations that he masked his massive personal spending. The scandal surrounding his trial led to a sharp drop in donations to local branches of the United Way, which was unfortunate because only one cent of every dollar received at the local level goes to the national headquarters. Oddly enough, some still praise Aramonay for the advances he made in the efficiency and efficacy of the organization.
Author’s Note: But I still think you should still give
For me, the number of people who’ve abused the system makes me uncomfortable with the idea of giving to charities. But that doesn’t mean I’m not charitable. I have my own philanthropic foundation: it’s called, “Pocket Change.” My mission: To keep a lot of spare change and a few dollars always handy. That way, when I’m walking to work and a homeless guy asks me for money, I can give it to him.The money stays in my own community, I know it’s going directly to who needs it, and I get the instant gratification of seeing the thankful look on someone’s face. There’s a chance he’s just going to spend it on drugs and liquor, but from what I’ve seen, there’s no guarantee that my charitable dollars aren’t going to be squandered no matter who I give them to.
Of course, my “Pocket Change” approach isn’t for everyone. (There’s a definite downside in that you can’t write off donations on your taxes.) If you’re giving to non-profits, I’d suggest, before you give your money away, do your research. Be wary of organizations that are spending on mailings and telemarketers. And be doubly wary if you’re asked for donations using hard sell tactics like this.
Comments (42)
Comment
I never give money to a person on the telephone. I always ask them to send me a brochure, and then I will check out the charity with the BBB and consider writing a check.
I have never gotten a brochure.
posted by Witty Nickname on 8-21-2008 at 12:24 pm
That’s why I donate blood… Yeah, it’s probably being sold to those who need it, but they can’t exactly put it in their Swiss Bank account :)
posted by Debi on 8-21-2008 at 12:25 pm
Great post… I am looking for a charity to tithe to, and I am really worried about all these scams.. does anyone know of any good charities?
posted by hannah on 8-21-2008 at 12:26 pm
I’ve worked for 2 non-profit charities since moving to Arizona. Both do great work and are very trust-worthy. The 1st was Communities In Schools of Arizona. They organize local businesses to donate money and/or school supplies for students from low income families, They also have school mentoring programs, run a diaper bank for young mothers and help students find jobs as well.
I currently work for the Make A Wish Foundation of America. We grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
If you want to get information on most charities, you can go to http://www.charitynavigator.org for background as well as financial info.
posted by Sheldon Siegel on 8-21-2008 at 12:36 pm
Wow! I’m very disappointed to see the tone of this article. Yes, there are financially irresponsible non-profits and other pitfalls to some groups. However, it is very easy to investigate individual non-profits. Money magazine used to put out a good analysis of these organizations as well.
This is likely to hurt the good organizations that are financially responsible and that do a lot of good in the community.
Please keep contributing. Fundriasing is very difficult with the rise in food and gas, etc. but the services are in great demand. Don’t stop giving. In fact, give all you can. Just make sure that you are giving to a reputable non-profit or charity.
posted by Karen on 8-21-2008 at 12:52 pm
You may want to consider local charities as better options for giving, as they usually haven’t grown so big that they get bloated with overhead. There are more options than the author implies in this post. I hope people aren’t turned off to charities after reading this. Just do your homework.
posted by kel on 8-21-2008 at 1:09 pm
hannah –
compassion international is one of the greatest “charities” ever. i sponsor a compassion child and i have been incredibly pleased. you can check them out on compassion.com.
be sure to take a look at how upstanding they are. they have won a number of awards for financial responsibility. check them out! they are awesome!
posted by erin on 8-21-2008 at 1:11 pm
I agree with Karen that it’s a good idea to investigate the charities you’re giving to, and I hope that people will continue to make finacial contributions in their communities no matter how many horror stories we hear about abuse and mismanagement.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that just giving our money isn’t enough. We also have to donate our time. So many organizations would cease to function altogether without participation from volunteers.
And from my experience, I find that if I take the time to serve in a food kitchen or work on a home for a needy family, I have an “inside look” into the charity. I am much more informed when it comes time to send in a pledge or a contribution if I’ve spent some time volunteering.
posted by Kristen on 8-21-2008 at 1:15 pm
I’ve gotta say, I’m skeptical of charities as well. I worked for a short period of time for CoPirg, the Colorado branch of an environmental charity – they’re in a bunch of other states too.
We went door to door, collecting money for environmental causes. Several times I saw my fellow workers pocket the cash and just turn in the checks to the office at the end of the day.
Some folk would take the job just for a week, load up on all the cash they could get and never show up again.
I never give at the door because of this. Not even checks. If they have a nice, safe website – then I check it out and either decide to give or not give.
Also, they were downright mean. If you didn’t make your nightly quota, the group leaders would take you into a seperate room for a ‘debriefing’ which basically was a room full of team leaders yelling at you for slacking off.
Plus I might add, they dropped us off in lousy neighborhoods, by ourselves. I was a 21 yr old girl at the time, being dropped off by myself in bad neighborhoods and expected to work until after dark. No way to get home except for the CoPirg people to come pick me up.
What could go wrong there?
posted by Jen on 8-21-2008 at 1:15 pm
Go to charitynavigator dot org to see what percentage of your donation goes to actually helping others
posted by Mike on 8-21-2008 at 1:37 pm
Guantanamo? Very weak post. I’ve come to expect much better from MF.
posted by DW on 8-21-2008 at 1:49 pm
Re: Pocket Change Charity
I too like to give street petitioners the benefit of the doubt. If I have small bills or change, I give it.
However, pan-handling can be quite lucrative. In Europe, I once met a man born without legs. We talked for a while; when I asked his profession, he said beggar. He explained that he could make in excess of 500 francs/hour ($80). He would dress in rags and hang out in the Metro for a few hours a day. The congenital deformity helped but he said some able bodied ‘colleagues’ did nearly as well.
I have stopped donations to one category of these petitioners: The Parking-Lot Stalkers. They wait until you return to your vehicle and then aggressively accost you. Rather than just ask for small donations, they always have a convoluted story. Alarmingly often, during the part of the transaction where the receiver customarily reciprocates with a “Thank You”, I have gotten a chaffing, “Is that all? Don’t you have more?” Considering that I just spent the last 90 seconds listening to a suspicious sounding sob story and extended my meager aid anyway, it kills my charitable glow.
posted by n2y2 on 8-21-2008 at 1:53 pm
I appreciate your disclaimer at the tail end. Even if the tone didn’t carry the same weight with which you slammed the rare instance that you site.
A few friends and I started a charity last year growing beards to raise awareness of domestic violence and money for the Charlotte Battered Women’s Shelter.
With donated time and efforts, it only cost us about $300 to write a check for over $22,000 two months later. There ARE good people out there making a difference. http://www.beardsbecause.com
posted by theYerg on 8-21-2008 at 1:53 pm
It’s amusing that somebody worried about charity scams instead gives his money to drug addicts he sees on the streets. Does he ever wonder if the hit he’s paying for is the one that’s going to kill the person he’s giving the money to?
posted by Paul on 8-21-2008 at 1:55 pm
Timothy – I feel the same way you do about these charities. I can and do still give. The company I work for has ‘adopted’ local schools. We periodically have drives for school supplies, crayons, etc. where we purchase the items we want to contribute and they get delivered right to the schools. We also have angel trees where individuals can take a letter to Santa and purchase requested gifts for needy children. At thanksgiving we collect food items for the local food bank. I feel better about donating in this manner!
posted by JaneM on 8-21-2008 at 1:57 pm
I’ve never been comfortable giving to panhandlers in my home city ever since my mother saw two of them sharing a spot on the sidewalk in shifts. I give to my church and I’ve volunteered at the local homeless shelter/community center. That way people who genuinely need help get help, and people who are panhandling for a living don’t get enabled (at least, not by me).
posted by Joanna on 8-21-2008 at 2:15 pm
Agreed–the Guantanamo line was over the top. As a current employee of a non-profit that helps the homeless, giving money to the homeless on the street might give you “instant gratification” but as the author acknowledges, it could be used for drugs, alcohol, etc. In addition, many of those on the street suffer from a mental illness. Giving to them seems nice, but many times you’re supporting their habit or other unhealthy lifestyle. It’s better to research charities in your area and give to those that are trying to help the homeless regain their self-sufficiency. I do agree to stay away from phone solicitors, though. The overhead is tremendous.
posted by Jack on 8-21-2008 at 2:19 pm
I wanted to clarify on the telemarketing charities. I worked for one of those groups for a few months. Every outsourced telemarketer is different, but ours group received a flat fee, regardless of whether you gave or not. It’s a good idea to ask before giving, so giving through us didn’t diminish your gift. I just thought it was important to point out.
posted by Sally on 8-21-2008 at 2:21 pm
I agree that charities should be researched thoroughly before you give your money, and many of the commenters gave links to good sites.
I contribute both time and money to several charities (my sorority’s foundation, The Princess Project, Taproot Foundation), but only after I have thoroughly checked them out.
In terms of giving money to people on the street, this is discouraged here in San Francisco, where we have many homeless people. We are instead encouraged to donate time, money, and supplies to local organizations such as food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters. I will occasionally give someone a quarter when they are short on bus fare, but I don’t hand out cash to people who ask.
posted by kellie on 8-21-2008 at 2:49 pm
I agree that the article doesn’t really add much to the knowledge base. Giving to panhandlers is a truly thoughtless gesture good for a quick warm fuzzy at best.
If you are serious about doing the most with your charitable contributions, charity navigator, guidestar.org, and the american institute of philanthropy have the necessary management information. You and I can do a lot of good if we act wisely.
posted by Tom on 8-21-2008 at 2:55 pm
I agree with the “Pocket Change” approach, but instead I use the money I was going to give them and buy them food so they cant spend it on their next high…
posted by Erika on 8-21-2008 at 3:22 pm
Please stop your ridiculous “Pocket Change” idea.
Street begging comes with it’s own economics, including supply and demand. Because you have a demand (by giving money, you are “buying” their product), it only encourages people and increases supply. So in the end it just makes more people get accosted on the street for change.
If those people seriously have a need, there are better places they can go than to the street corner.
Recaptcha: Messenger Finnish
posted by Dwayne on 8-21-2008 at 3:23 pm
Something that might interest you is microfinance through Kiva. Instead of donating your hard earned dollars to a charity, you pick an entrepreneur in the developing world and LEND them as little as 25 dollars, they pay the loan back in a few months (over 99% of all the borrowers pay in full and on time, most of the defaults were because of the post-election violence in Kenya), then you can either pick out an other entrepreneur to loan your money back out to, or cash it and keep it yourself. You can check it out at http://www.kiva.org
I’m a Kiva lender and I love it. I get to help the working poor and get to help a LOT of people with the same little amount of money. Plus I get to choose EXACTLY where my money is going.
posted by Melissa on 8-21-2008 at 3:32 pm
I can’t speak to their efficiency, but I like World Vision because they have a catalog. This is a cool idea for gifts because instead of just donating cash, you can “buy” a goat for a family somewhere. You can even buy shares of expensive items like a house. I started using this for my family after I got tired of giving my dad stupid stuff he doesn’t need like socks for Christmas. I try to pick out things that would have meaning to the person I’m donating in honor of.
posted by Kim on 8-21-2008 at 3:34 pm
I am really disappointed in the tone of this article. It seems wholly against the ethos of mental floss to make some sweeping generalizations about non-profits based on a few bad apples.
That said, if you’re interested in giving and seeking that “warm fuzzy feeling” (which is not what it should ultimately be about, but I digress) what about giving to your alma mater or even an institution where you think “good things” are happening (beneficial research, innovative programming, etc)? Most higher ed. institutions operate a donor-driven system, enabling someone to earmark dollars – whether it is $25.00 or $1 million – for exactly what they want their money to support. The adage about starving grad students is definitely true too: there might be a student developing a cheap, efficient water purification system that is scalable worldwide but doesn’t have the grant money to continue. If you have a few bucks to give an academic program, it will usually be accepted with open arms. While those dollars immediately benefit the student or program, there is a chance that money could end up helping people in need all over the world. And not just pay for postage or telemarketers.
I agree with giving of your time too. Often, that is of greater value to the charity – getting someone to work for free!? Not easy to come by.
posted by am on 8-21-2008 at 3:41 pm
I’ve been conflicted about how to respond when a stranger asks for money. I feel guilty whether I give or not.
posted by fuzzparrot on 8-21-2008 at 4:17 pm
“Help Hospitalizes Veterans?”
Well, if help hospitalizes them, maybe we shouldn’t be helping! ;-)
Just a friendly reminder to check for a few spelling errors.
posted by Rose on 8-21-2008 at 4:26 pm
I’m pretty much against giving to charities as well. The biggest target of my ire is the Red Cross. They took in so much money after 9-11 and kept it for themselves for ‘future attacks’ so to the victims of 9-11.
Not only that, when you donate your blood, they make a profit on it. Last year, something like $800 million in profit. They should not be charging for it.
My local united way occupies a huge building that cost several million dollars to build. I rarely hear of any good they have done in the community, except when they are begging for more money.
Don’t even get me started on churches that manipulate their parishioners into tithing then do things like open massive schools, open fitness clubs, build ever larger buildings and now some are even turning into real estate developers, all while avoiding paying property taxes and actually contributing to the community.
Sigh. I hate charities.
posted by Jonathan Thomas on 8-21-2008 at 4:32 pm
This post and comments make me very sad. There are so many fine local charities that could really benefit from your time and money, no matter how small. All that it takes is a little effort on your part to do the right thing. It’s the easy way out to hand some change to a panhandler or zip a check off to some national organization.
What about investing a little of your time with Big Brothers/Big Sisters? Unloading trucks at the food bank? Volunteering to pick up litter along the highway? How about sending $50 to a local 4-H group? Trust me, a little effort on your part will yield more that little rewards. While it’s easy to feel virtuous sending off a check, the warm feeling is pretty short lived. When you really invest yourself and your money where your heart leads, there’s nothing better. “As you give, so shall you receive”
posted by Lynn on 8-21-2008 at 4:46 pm
It’s not charity… but microloans are a nice way to help out people. I loan through http://www.kiva.org
It’s not a handout, you’re helping give someone a leg up, and when the loan is repaid you can use that money to help someone else out.
They’re even becoming more common in the U.S. now. That’s good… with the economy in it’s current shape and the fact that banks only loan money to people who don’t need it…
posted by Jason! on 8-21-2008 at 5:00 pm
I agree with all the posters who said do your research on Charity Navigator. Save the Children is a great organization that sends 90%+ to their programs and has for many years earning it a 4 star ranking. There are many others that have achieved the same rating.
RE: United Way – If you want to give to your local United Way, check on it first. Some are very efficient and some are terrible.
Please don’t stop giving. Do your research and be confident that you can help others here in the US and abroad.
posted by Beth on 8-21-2008 at 7:34 pm
Please don’t dismiss non-profits who use direct mail and/or telefunding — many legitimate organizations use these tools properly and effectively. (And if I can’t call you or write you, how do I ask you for a gift? Mental telepathy?)
The New York State Attorney General’s office compiles an annual report called Pennies for Charities (I think) that details the cost per dollar donated for every registered charity doing business in the state. You might be surprised at just how efficient some of the smaller local charities are.
So do your research, consider your options, and give to organizations that support your beliefs. It feels good, and it’s good for you.
posted by Punctuation Maven on 8-21-2008 at 7:44 pm
The LA Times has a great feature on their website which covers every major charity in the country and how they do in raking in the money and how much they actually keep and how much they give to those they’re trying to help.
Just search “LA Times Charity Database”
Don’t donate before you consult this chart so you can look up the charity and their track record.
posted by Pablo on 8-21-2008 at 8:39 pm
It seems that men of a certain age are quite fond of the “hey, dude, here’s some of my pocket change, aren’t I so awesome for kicking that down to you, bro?” charity approach. The cause is debatable, the effect is not.
Without getting into what that money may or may not be used to purchase, such largesse promotes a predatory level of competitiveness among beggars for prime spots and regular donors, with violence that has been known to lead to serious injury or even death. That’s a few dollars in spare change to you, but it’s an entire world to someone else — and they’ll go to desperate measures to protect that income stream.
If you don’t have a problem with promoting street begging as a means of survival, you need to do some serious self-reflection.
posted by Dan on 8-22-2008 at 4:42 am
@ Pocket Change idea- horrible. Just like your post shows donating money to many charities ensures your money doesn’t go where you think it does, donating money to street beggars and homeless is just as risky.
Here in Indianapolis, they are making efforts to educate residents that donations for the homeless should only be made to HOMELESS SHELTERS! That helps real homeless people and cuts down on druggies and pan handlers on the street. Then you also know it is going towards the homeless, not “taking a risk” that it might go towards drugs or booze. What a horrible article you wrote. So one-sided and hypocritical.
posted by Kelly J on 8-22-2008 at 8:22 am
I have found the best way to donate blood is to go to a HOSPITAL sponsored blood drive. They keep all the blood for their own blood banks so you know it stays in your own community. Also, if you donate platelets only, you can donate more often.
posted by motorkitty on 8-22-2008 at 9:01 am
I too fear the wateful, top heavy charity. I usually look to http://www.charitynavigator.org for background as well as financial info. They provide a breakdown of the money as to where it goes (operations vs. actualy charity work). You will suprised by the number of charitys out there that are run rather soundly. It is worth a look.
posted by Todd on 8-22-2008 at 9:20 am
I like giving to Child’s Play (childsplaycharity.org) which is run by Penny Arcade because you can pick what you want to buy and what hospital you want receiving it. It makes me feel more comfortable getting the receipt and knowing exactly what my money is buying and where it’s going.
posted by Hypatia on 8-22-2008 at 10:55 am
Would you give your money to any bank that called you on the phone? Why would you give to a charity that was for a yachting race? This post uses a poor argumentation skills–picking out random examples to prove a trend. And like many others have commented, his “pocket change” theory is a joke; it does less than the 15% that the inefficient charities were giving. There are so many worthy causes to give to out there, and like anything, it just takes a very small amount of research. This post is very disappointing, if for nothing else than it’s poor reasoning, poorer research, and generally snarky attitude. Thumbs down, Mr. Mercer.
posted by Lizzie on 8-22-2008 at 11:21 am
I have to agree with all the other criticisms of this post–what a downer! What is most disturbing about this post is the sanctimonious boasting about not giving “one penny” to the not-for-profit sector.
It’s a comfort that this blog’s readers seem too smart to give up on charitable giving due to a few bad organizations out there. Like most other comments have emphasized, you just have to do your homework before making a donation. I treat charitable giving just like any other financial decision I’d make: I try to be a smart consumer and do an appropriate amount of research before writing a check–just like I’d research purchasing a car or trading stocks.
posted by Lauren on 8-22-2008 at 12:04 pm
When I was in NYC this summer, I’d always see a couple people on the street shaking a cup of coins. I felt guilty passing them by, but I also didn’t want to give them money and have it turn out they weren’t actually homeless and were just panhandling. Or that they would just spend it on drugs and such.
A list of NYC’s homeless shelters are available on the internet. Not much use, since I really doubt that homeless people had internet access, and to use it at the library required a card… which required a home address. So I printed the list, wrote “They can help you much more than I can. God bless” on the back (it was true- broke college student here). My theory was if they really wanted help, they’d go. If they didn’t, I knew they were faking. It would help the people who really needed it and wouldn’t benefit the panhandlers.
Once I gave the list to a girl and her boyfriend, who were both really grateful, and I never saw them again, so I assume they were telling the truth. Another time I gave the list to a man who reappeared at the exact same corner a few days later. Now, I knew he spoke English and could read and write (his sign, and I spoke to him myself), and was mobile (he disappeared from the corner every night). Voila: panhandler.
posted by arfies on 8-24-2008 at 10:44 pm
This article is pathetic and incredibly ignorant, even for the internet.
Real charities – not the semi/il-legal outifts you describe are very strict about how much money can be spent on anything other than aid. The figure is usually less than 10%.
The other points are equally moronic. It’s like writing an article called “Why I don’t Trust Cars”, and then focussing on the dodgy deathtrap you can buy in Albania, instead of a real represenation about what’s out there, and the laws in place to protect people.
posted by patrickg on 8-26-2008 at 12:58 am